


The Sooner the Better

by randomramblesff



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Post Finale, Relationship Discussions, annie's really really really broody, post-season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 12:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17662847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomramblesff/pseuds/randomramblesff
Summary: "Annie, talk to me. Has something happened? I know something's been up but usually, you talk to me about stuff and I didn't wanna' push it.""It's stupid."He steps forward, reaching out to tug her into his chest."Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not stupid."(Or the fic where Annie realises she's broody.)





	The Sooner the Better

"What are you smiling at?"

They're in a coffee shop the first time it hits her. Coincidentally, their schedules lined up so they both have a day off in the middle of a random week in October, meaning they can spend a day enjoying each other's company like they would if they had all the time in the world.

She's sipping on a hot chocolate as Jeff looks past her, over her right shoulder, his eyes soft and staring.

"There's a baby looking at me."

Annie holds her cup between her palms and glances behind her, spotting the gummy, toothless grin being shot his way as the baby is balanced on the back of the booth its parents are sat in.

"Oh, haha." She laughs softly, turning back around, sipping her drink again.

"Anyway," Jeff shakes his head and goes back to talking, "I think taking that week off before Christmas is the best idea, I still have like ten days I can take and then I can actually enjoy your birthday."

Annie nods slowly, humming into the rim of her cup.

"Hmm? No, yeah, that sounds good. I don't know if I'll be able to get my birthday off but, it will be fine."

She smiles tightly and goes to look over her shoulder again when she hears a coo from behind her.

"What day do your classes finish, do you know yet?"

"Um, I..." She takes one last sip of her drink before putting it down on the saucer with a clatter, "...um, I think I need to double check."

He squints at her then, amused.

"Is everything okay? You seem distracted all of a sudden."

"Hm?"

"See!" He grins, his hand reaching out to find hers on the table top.

"No, no, um... yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? Do you wanna' keep walking?"

She hears the baby babble again and it makes her sit up straight and sigh heavily.

"Yeah, if you want to."

They leave shortly after, back outside to the crisp autumn sunshine. Jeff puts his hand on the small of her back and kisses her temple as they walk hand-in-hand, leaning closer together as a woman pushing a buggy steps out next to them on the sidewalk.

 _Crap_ , Annie thinks.

* * *

Right up until Jeff's birthday when she has a single brief day to be all-consumed by something else, it's one of the few things she can think about besides work and school.

When there's a happy family on a TV show they're catching up on, she'll find herself zoning out of the storyline and subconsciously and mentally superimposing herself and Jeff into the scenes; daydreaming.

When the daycare centre two blocks away breaks at the end of the day, she'll lean on the edge of their apartment window and chew on the inside of her cheek, watching new moms push their prams around, rosy-cheeked toddlers holding their free hands.

When a colleague at work celebrates their daughters first birthday, she sits a little closer in the break room and tilts her head to get a clearer view of their phone screen, where they're showing off pictures of the pastel coloured birthday party they recently threw.

"Have you always wanted kids?" She asks, catching her colleague off guard from across the table.

"Yeah, yeah, I always knew I wanted them. I think you kind of know, you know?" She shrugs and Annie smiles, not expecting herself to ask another question. It's not like they're friends, they just pass each other by in the office and have been working on one or two of the same cases in the lab.

"When did you know it was the right time?" Annie raises an eyebrow, still smiling to show her curiosity is purely innocent.

"I came off birth control because it was making me depressed and we weren't really careful, so, it just happened. It might not have been the best time but it's worked out okay so far." She laughs and Annie nods in acknowledgement.

And when a targeted Facebook ad for pregnancy supplements flashes up on her laptop one evening, she rolls her eyes, slams the lid down and calls it a night.

"You okay?" Jeff asks from his side of the bed, his phone in hand and his body slouched.

"Yeah."

He smiles and then drops his phone, his grin deepening ever so slightly.

"Do you wanna... make-out?" He asks, a comical eyebrow raised.

"Not tonight."

She flips over then and turns the light out, kissing his arm in the darkness, apologetically.

* * *

 

She reaches her tipping point at Christmas though, the frustration of it all pouring out of her when she least expects it.

Jeff's cousin - the daughter of the aunt she didn't even know existed until they started dating - is over at Jeff's mom's house on Christmas Eve because she's had a baby. _Of course, she has_ , Annie thinks, because Jeff's cousins are all his age or a few years younger and all of this is to be expected. It's her third child, she's thirty-eight and owns a four-bedroom house in one of the more expensive suburbs of Denver.

At first, she politely goes along with everything as someone normally would; she coos over the baby sleeping in its pram when Christina - the cousin - arrives. She laughs when it wakes up and wails for a minute or two, interrupting all conversation. She even teases and prods Jeff's arm when Doreen jokingly passes a diaper his way when the baby's just been changed.

"No, thank you." He smiles tightly and Christine and Doreen laugh, looking at each other.

"I try! One day I'll get a grandchild out of him."

Jeff rolls his eyes and looks at Annie as if to say sorry, before talking back.

"Mom, come on."

"Go on Jeff, at least hold her and give her a glimpse of what's to come." Christine pipes up, walking closer, the baby resting against her chest.

Jeff looks up at the ceiling, breathing deeply before turning back to Annie.

"Are you okay with this? Because I can't have a baby without you."

Annie breathes out a laugh, shrugging.

"Be a good sport." Christine folds over and slowly lowers the baby - Daisy, her name is - down into Jeff's arms which he's naturally folded into a cradling position. Annie crosses her legs up next to him, swallowing deeply.

"I've gotta hold her neck, right?"

"Yeah, you've got it. You're a natural. See? Don't worry Doreen, he's got it all figured out when he's ready."

Jeff chuckles, getting comfortable. Daisy's in and out of sleep, opening and closing her eyes whilst wrinkling her nose up. Annie watches them both and feels the lump she's been carrying in her throat for the past couple of months, grow larger.

"You are very cute, I'll give you that." Jeff speaks, looking down at Daisy in his arms, the size of him drowning her out to look even smaller. He loosens one of his hands from his protective grip on her, raising it so her hand latches onto one of his fingers.

"Yeah, that's my finger which is almost the size of one of your entire arms."

Annie continues to watch on until she senses Doreen staring at her from across the room. She glances over and Doreen gives her a tight smile and she's not sure what it means. It makes her feel dizzy and lightheaded; the idea of it all.

"Just getting a drink." Annie stands, heading for the kitchen where she composes herself, standing by the edge of the sink, filling a glass she finds in one of the cabinets. She takes three large gulps and empties it, standing back to watch Jeff from afar.

He looks happy; peaceful, even, and it's maybe a little bit terrifying at the same time as being a total relief.

Daisy must yawn because Jeff imitates her and shakes his head down near her face.

"Oh, are you tired?"

It isn't until Doreen gets up from her seat and picks up her phone from across the room to take a photo, that Annie has to excuse herself and attempt to relieve herself of the torment she's been living under - well, making herself live under, if only she'd told Jeff since the day it all started.

"Just using the bathroom." She mumbles, dashing towards the stairs with her hair cascading across her face.

Jeff turns his head over his shoulder and pouts, waiting a beat or two before he stands and passes Daisy back to her mother.

"I think I'm just gonna' check on her. She's not usually this quiet."

"Oh, okay. Well, I might be going soon, so, just in case I'll say goodbye now. Merry Christmas, Jeff." Christine smiles and pats a hand on his arm as she rests Daisy's chin on her shoulder.

"You too." He squeezes her own arm back before raising his eyebrows up at his mom as he finds his way to the staircase and to the bathroom.

When he reaches it, the door is unlocked which means his suspicions were right. There’s definitely something up - and today's the day he finally works out what it is.

Annie's stood in the middle of the room, and from what he can see from the reflection in the mirror above the sink, her hands are up to her face as she wipes away tears.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?"

She doesn't respond, just sniffles and hugs herself tighter.

"Annie, talk to me. Has something happened? I know something's been up but usually, you talk to me about stuff and I didn't wanna' push it."

"It's stupid."

He steps forward, reaching out to tug her into his chest.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not stupid."

"I just..." She breathes shakily and he feels her stomach shift against him as she tries to get her words out, "...I really want a baby."

He looks at himself - well, both of them - in the mirror, and blinks hard. He thought maybe her mom had tried to make contact or she'd heard bad news from somebody or maybe, if he was being a jerk about it, she'd just had super bad, very extended, semi-permanent PMS for whatever reason.

"Oh."

"It's been driving me insane."

He rubs her back, still not sure what more to say other than an 'oh'.

"Just... I don't know what it is. I thought it would go away. I thought it was just, you know, hormones or, I don't know, something that naturally comes with being in a relationship but... it won't go away. I mean it's all I think about most days."

He hugs her tighter, realising listening might be the best thing he can do. She brings her hand up between them and rubs at her eye.

"I feel like I'm going crazy. I mean, a kid? I don't want a kid. I'm still in school... I've only just turned twenty-six. We're not even engaged yet and there's so much I wanna' do with my life but... but what if this is what I'm supposed to do? What if... what if I want a baby more than I thought I wanted one?"

He sighs, still watching them in the mirror.

"Well... then, maybe you do."

She shifts then, looking up at him, her arms around his waist.

" _No_ , this is where you tell me I need to take over the world first."

He doesn't look down at her just yet, his words coming to him without much thought.

"You’re right, I do think you could, you know, take over the world. But... now that I know about what being together and... being in love means..."

"God, please don't make me cry again."

"...I get that life can change and that, if it feels right then, taking over the world can happen at another time. Or, for someone like you, at the same time. I guess it just means compromise here and there."

They're silent for a moment, their breathing patterns synchronising.

"I just, I worry that it's a temporary feeling and that... if I acted on it- if we acted on it _now_ , I might regret it or the timing of it. You know?"

He nods slowly, thinking.

"Why didn't you tell me? It's not like we haven't spoken about it before."

"I know, I just... I was worried that you might freak out or I don't know... again, what if this is just a temporary feeling? Thinking about it for two months doesn't exactly match up to a decision that lasts a lifetime."

"I don't think you have to think about it for years to work out it's something you want."

Annie chews on her lip, staring at the neckline of Jeff's sweater.

"Do you... does it freak you out?"

He drops his hand before brushing it over his face, mulling it over briefly.

"Honestly? I... I'm not getting any younger. I think... the sooner the better but that doesn't mean _now_ , it just means... I don't wanna wait until I'm in my fifties if I have the chance."

She nods a miniscule amount.

"What if... what if it means I throw away opportunities? Or, I never get the job that I want... or I..." She shakes her head, trailing off

"I can't tell you that wouldn't happen but I also think... if we had a baby now, you'd be thirty-six when it's ten years old. That's still young. I mean, look at me, I'm still figuring shit out. You have time and... whatever you end up doing, I know you'll be amazing at it. And if you wanna be a mom, then, you'll be amazing at that too."

He wraps his arms around her, his thumbs smoothing over his shoulders.

"Do you want a baby?" She asks.

He looks down at her and into her glossy eyes.

"I want whatever you want."

She breathes, her voice wobbling.

"I _really_ want a baby."

He smiles down at her before reaching out to wipe her tear stained cheeks.

"Then let's see what happens."

"Can we... can we keep it between us? I just... I want to experience this on our own, you know?"

He nods, understanding.

"I won't tell mom. Plus... it would be kind of weird to basically tell her we're gonna' be having a lot of sex."

"Of course that's what you're thinking of."

"Don't we have to make like, a sex schedule?"

"A sex schedule?"

"Yeah, that's a thing. To you know, make sure you're fertile and stuff... I think."

She laughs then and it makes him smile to see her happy. He pulls her in again for the dozenth time, tucking his chin over her shoulder as he crouches down.

He can't help but tell her, just because he knows he can't keep waiting much longer - he realises that's how she might have been feeling all this time.

"You don't need to worry about the fact that we're not engaged yet."

"I know, I didn't mean I'm actually _worried_ about it, it's just you know... are we ready... and..."

"I'm just telling you, you don't need to worry. You can stop worrying."

She frowns into his neck.

"What do you..."

"Just don't worry about it."

"Are you..." She leans back and catches the devious glint in his eye. "Are you gonna'...?"

"I never said anything." He shrugs and shuts her up with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it's been a while since I've actually managed to write something without giving up. I can't promise I'll post again anytime soon but I had to get this idea out of me, apparently. Thanks for reading (and the kudos you leave - I hope!).


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